Hanaway Announces Ground Breaking Agreement For Missouri to Accept 3^rd Party Certification for Women Business Owners

Jefferson City, MO (May 22, 2003): On Wednesday, May 21, 2003, Speaker of the House, Rep. Catharine Hanaway, announced the signing of an historic agreement between the State of Missouri and the National Women Business Owners Corporation (NWBOC) for the State to accept third-party certification for their WBE program for women business owners. Missouri is the first state to sign an agreement with NWBOC to provide WBE certification, in addition to the State's own Women Business Enterprise (WBE) certification.

At the announcement, which was held in Thomas Hart Benton room of the State Capitol, were Janet Harris-Lange, Lakeland Florida, founder and National President of NWBOC; Joyce Murphy, Missouri State Deputy Commissioner of Administration; Nancy Zurbuchen, founder and Director of the Kansas City Council of Women Business Owners (KC-CWBO) and SBA Regional Women in Business Advocate of the Year; and Janet Poppen, St. Louis, Poppen & Associates, a member of the St. Louis Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO). Poppen and Zurbuchen spear-headed the action for the new State acceptance of NWBOC certification.

With the agreement, women business owners now have an additional choice in certification that will help the State to conserve internal resources that would otherwise be spent on the certifying process. NWBOC's single verification process will eliminate redundant certification reviews, a growing complaint among women business owners who many times must be separately certified with each entity with whom they want to do business. In addition to the State of Missouri, NWBOC's certification is also accepted at over 100 major corporations.

The action for the State to seek NWBOC certification arose out of a 2001 legislative conference for Missouri women business owners that was hosted Speaker Hanaway. Hanaway thanked the Office of Administration for their assistance in following through to forge the agreement with NWBOC. She added that work must continue to improve opportunities for women business owners in regard to doing business with the State of Missouri.

Hanaway also presented Harris-Lange with a resolution from the Missouri House of Representatives recognizing and showing support for the work of NWBOC.

Other people of note who in attendance were Becky Wilson, co-founder of the KC Council of Women Business Owners, members of the St. Louis NAWBO Chapter including Donna Wolfersberger, Wolfgang & Associates, Dorothy G. Lockard, Dietrich Lockard Group, Suzanne Magee Joyce, Techgurard Security, Linda Fraser Joacobsen, Global Vision Strategies, Past Mcilvaine, Common Sense Business Solutions, and Connie Fisher, Center for Growth and Change. Representing the Kansas City NAWBO Chapter was Elaine Hamilton, Vision Teleproduction.

Based in Lakeland, Florida, The NWBOC is a national, not-for-profit organization whose mission is to increase the number of bona fide women-owned businesses that can meet the requirements of private and public sector contractors. To be considered for NWBOC certification, a woman must own and control 51% or more of the business, be President or CEO, and be active in the daily management of the business, be a US citizen. Complete information is available at NWBOC.org.

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